Half Year Summing Up

 Well, I've made it halfway through 2024.  I wonder at what point I will get over the mind set of "making it through"?

I have written of the strange calm I've felt this year.  I wonder if it's partially because when I first came home and wasn't sure if I could manage out here by myself, and wondering how long I could make it, and I thought maybe 5 years?  Well, five years later - I'm maintaining things, and I've survived whatever has been thrown at me; I'm healthier and physically stronger.  So I don't have to give up my home just yet.

So how's 2024 going so far?  Not bad.
For someone who said she was going to quit pushing, and just be a hermit if she felt like it - I've gone out quite a bit, and peopled at lot. I went to the Highland Games, and to the Royal Hanneford Circus, the FSU circus (with friends), to the Broadway Shows singing at the community center, to two gatherings at the museum, and to a play at the School of Theatre.  I did the Tree to Tree course with two co-workers.  Jeff has visited three times.  Suzie and Ashlyn came over to help with the chicken coop and we went to lunch afterwards.   I went to Crawfordville for lunch with Judy. I've been going to visit Gill after my monthly chiropractor visit.  I went to Thomasville with Adrianne.

I've dealt with stuff - like my hubcaps falling off, and the fender-bender accident.  I replaced a circuit breaker in Chez Wicca.  I did extra shifts at the museum during the post-tornado time.  I finally rebuilt the ceiling panels and repaired the bedroom ceiling.

I did the massive barn clean out, and an equally massive amount of brush clearing (although the latter is hard to tell because it keeps growing back).  I tore down a rotting fence, and repaired the chicken coop.  I repaired and painted my mailbox.  I rebuilt my front swing.   I was able to give away the small loom that I don't use.  I've raised 5 new chicks.

I'm still in search of my creative mojo.  I did the swing, and I made a skirt to wear to the highland games (I don't especially like it and might recycle the cloth) and I'm still slowly making the medieval dress.  About the only other thing I've made is a hairpin - simple, but I'm pleased with it.  I have a collection of hair sticks for when I wear my hair French twist style, but for when I'm wearing a hat at the museum I wear my hair in a low bun, and for that I needed a short stick, not fancy, preferably a little wavy to hold better.  So I made it.  I had some heavy copper wire from a earlier project so all I had to do was cut, file, bend a twist at one end and put in a couple of waves.  Simple, but satisfying.  Then I had to do it again because while I was doing yardwork a stray azalea branch caught it, pulled it out, and flung it somewhere.

I've logged over 550 miles in my walking challenges.

I've read 26 books (#27 is A Brief History of Time, which Ebaida wanted to read)

That's it so far.

OK, I feel better.  I'm glad I wrote this.  For the last four days I have done virtually nothing.  I've been getting that stressed feeling of an animal seeing a trap closing with the change of weather.  For the last week it's gotten over 100 degrees in the heat index, with the high humidity making it difficult to breath (especially in the mornings, when it's not particularly hot yet but the humidity is 100%).  So maybe it's OK to take a few days off to switch gears and think about inside projects.